Stoker ram



Jan, 2 1923.,

2 SHEETS'SHEET 2 FILED AUG. 1917.

IwemZOW- QEMLSMZ.

Fatented Jan. 2, 1923,

JOHN L. SCHULTZ, OF PHILADELIHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOB- TO AMERICAN ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF EENNSYLVANIA.

STOKEB RAM.

Application filed August 6, 1917. Serial No. 184,697.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. SCHULTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadel hia, Pennsylvania, have invented a Stoker am, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a form of fuel feeding plunger or ram for automatic stokers, particularly of the inclined underfeed type, which shall be of such form and bear such relation to its associated parts that it shall ofi'er a minimum resist ance to movement by its driving mechanism and shall not be subject to undue friction from the packing of fuel under it.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fuel feeding ram which shall be free to move up or down under operating conditions so as to prevent the packing or accumulation of fuel under it and also be free from the excessive friction which in the past has required an abnormal consumption of power and has frequently been the cause of breakage to or serious strain of the operating mechanism.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section, illustrating my invention as applied to an inclined underfeed Stoker;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the plunger extension forming part of m invention;

Figs. 3 and d are respective y a side elevation and a plan further illustrating said extension together with certain of its associated parts; and

Fig. 5 isa rear elevation of the member for connecting the, extension to the body of the plunger.

In the above drawings l, 2 and 3 represent portions of the supporting frame work of an inclined under-feed stoker and on this is mounted a grate includin a number of series of tuyeres 4, arrange in step form. Betweeneach two adjacent series of tuyeres is an elongated, downwardly and inwardly inclined cavity 5, constituting a retort, to which fuel is delivered from a hopper 6.

Each cavity or retort has a flat bottom plate 7 and is provided with one or more pushers or plungers whereby the fuel' from the hopper 6 is intermittently forced 1nwardly and over' the grate structure. In the present instance I have shown the hopper 6 as delivering to the interior of a cas ng 8 in which is mounted a plunger or usher (not shown) of any suitable form, w ereby the fuel is delivered to the upper part of the retort 5. The lower part of said retort has opening into it a cylindrical or other desired form of guideway 9, at or slightly above the level of the bottom plate 7 of said retort.

In this guideway is mounted a plunger body 10, reciprocated from any suitable;' source of power through a'link 12 and a lever 11. To the rear end of this body 10 is bolted a plate 13 having a'projection 14 extending toward the rear of the stoker and constituting a hinge member, to which a plunger extension 15 is connected by a pin 16. As shown in Fig. 2, this extension includes a substantially triangular prismatic head 17 whose fiat base portion is slidable on the bottom 7 of the retort and also on a plate 18 whose upper face lies in substantially the same. plane as said bottom and projects adjacent the lowermost of the tuyeres 4.

From the front side of this head a web portion 19 extends forward and has its front end provided with a fork 20 constituting a second hinge member designed to receive between its branches the hin e member 14 of the connecting plate 13. ach branch of this forked end 20 has an overhung portion or projecting lug 21 extending over a horizontal lug 22 projecting from the plate 13, the arrangement being suchthat the lugs 21 of the pusher extension 15 will engage said projecting lugs 22 to limit the angle through which said extension can swing on its hinge-pin 16 above the horizontal.

While I have described the head 17 of the .plunger extension as of a substantially triangular prismatic form, make its front inclined fuel-engaging face scoop-shaped or concave as shown, so that it has a relatively sharp bottom edge which under conditions of operation, cuts into and forces'ahead of it any fuel which might otherwise collect between its base and the bottom plates 7 and 18 of the retort.

As the plunger body 10 is reciprocated by the parts 11 and 12, the plunger extension 15 moves back and forth within the bottom I preferably of the retort, first receiving in its concave face 23 the body of fuel which falls in the rear of it as it is withdrawn toward the front of the stoker. Thereafter the rearward movement of said plunger causes said extension to force this mass of fuel rearwardly from the retort, over the grate and into the furnace in the well known manner.

If any of the finer parts of the fuel should be retained by and packed upon the plates 7 and 18, the plunger extension is free to swing upwardly on its hinge to a limited extent so as to freely move over said fuel in some cases, or in other cases its freedom of movement upon said pin permits it to dig into and cut loose such packed fuel so that there is no abnormal opposition to its movement or undue friction which would require excessive power consumption or in some cases result in actual injury to the mechanism. 1

While in the drawings I have shown the stoker as equipped with but a single plunger formed of articulated sections, it is obvious that all or any number of the fuel feeding plungers may be constructed as shown without departing from my invention.

I claim 1. The combination in an underfeed stoker of a retort; a plunger guide opening into said retort; a fuel-feeding plunger consisting of a substantially cylindrical portion operative in said guide and an extension including a substantially triangular portion pivotally connected to said cylindrical portion to operate in the retort at the rear thereof; and means for reciprocating said plunger.

2. The combination in a stoker of a fuel feeding plunger having a substantially cylindrical body portion and a fuel engaging extension therefor provided with a relatively sharp bottom edge and hinged to the rear face of said body portion; with means for reciprocating said plunger.

3. The combination in a stoker of a fuel feeding plunger having a substantially cylindrical body portion and a fuel engaging extension hinged to the rear face of said body portion to project to the rear and immediately adjacent the same so. as to be free to swing up and down; with means for re ciprocating the plunger.

4. The combination in a stoker having a retort of a plunger guiding structure; a plunger having a part reciprocable in said structure and consisting of two parts directly hinged together, of which one is free to swing upwardly on its hinge within the retort and the other is held from such movement; with means for reciprocating the plunger.

5. The combination in astoker of a fuelfeeding plunger including a body and a fuelengag'ing extension hinged thereto, said extension consisting of a substantially triangular prismatic head having a face formed to engage the fuel; with means for reciprocating said plunger.

6. The combination in a stoker of an inclined retort having a substantially fiat bottom; a plunger guide opening into said retort; a plunger having a body movable in said guide and including an extension having a. flat base slidable on the bottom of the retort; a pin pivotally connecting the rear face of the body to the extension in position to permit the latter to move up and down relatively to the former; with means for reciprocatlng said plunger.

7. The combination in an inclined underfeed stoker of a retort having a substantially fiat bottom; a plunger guide opening into said retort; a plunger having a body movable in the guide and including an extension having a base slidable on the bottom of the retort, said extension including a vertical web pivotally connected directly to the inner end of the body; and means for reciprocating said plunger.

8. The combination in a stoker having a retort and a plunger guideway, of a plunger body slidable in the guideway and including a rearwardly projecting bracket; a plunger extension hinged to said bracket and free to move up and down independently of the body; and means for reciprocating said plunger body and extension.

9. The combination in a stoker having a retort and a plunger guideway, of a plunger body slidable in the guideway and including a rearwardly projecting bracket; a plunger extension hlnged to said bracket and free to move up and down independently of the body; means for reciprocating said plunger body and extension, there being at least one projecting lug on the bracket for limiting the swing-of the plunger extension.

10. The combination in a stoker having a retort and a. plun er guide opening thereinto, of a plunger inc uding a body operative in said guide and an extension having a portion of triangular prismatic form free to move up and down within the retort independently of the body; a horizontally extending pin connecting the extension and the body of the plunger, there being at least one lug on the extension coacting with a part of the body to limit the swing of said extension on the p 11. The combination in plunger guide of a plunger including a body reciprocable in said guide and having a projection on one face, said plunger also includin an extension having a portion of substantlally triangular prismatic form and a forked portion; a pin connecting said projection and the branches of said fork; with means for reci rocating the plunger.

12. The com ination in a stokerhaving a a stoker having a plunger guide of a plun er including a body reciprocable in said guide and having a projection on one face, said plunger also includmg an extension having a portion of'substantially triangular prismatic form and a forked web a pin connecting said projection and the branches of said fork; means for reciprocating the plunger, there being at least one abutment 'on-the plunger body; and a lug projectin from one of the branches of the fork of t e extension in position to cooperate with said abutment to limit the upward swing'of the extension.

13. A fuel feeding plunger made in a plurality of articulated sections of which one has a fuel-engaging face and a forwardly extended vertical web forked at itsouter end and the other section has-a rearward projection between the branches of the fork; with a pin pivotally connecting said sections to allow the former section to swing up and down.

14. A fuel feeding plunger consisting of a body and a triangular prismatic head having a fiat base and an inclined fuel-engaging face, there being a Vertical web pro ecting from said head and pivotally connected to the bod I1 1 witness whereof I afiix m signature.

- JOHN L. S HULTZ. 

